Chesley Bonestell was an architect, painter, designer, and astronomical illustrator who became fascinated with astronomy at age 10 when he viewed Venus in the sky and wondered why it was so bright. He trained as an architect in San Francisco, where he was born, and at Columbia University, then worked as a designer for several architectural firms, aiding in the design of the Chrysler Building in New York and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. He also worked in special effects in Hollywood on more than a dozen motion pictures, including War of the Worlds, When Worlds Collide, and Destination Moon.